Small conventional solid-state image sensors are mounted on an insertion probe and are used in medical applications. A problem with such arrangements is that frequently the image sensor is formed in a ceramic package body and then the ceramic package body is secured to a lead frame by an adhesive. (See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,630 issued Mar. 24, 1992 to Ogiu et al.)
It is very difficult to package image sensors for use in medical applications by conventional means and obtain a small, minimally invasive size needed for best performance. The sidewalls of the traditional ceramic package body often add to the overall dimension of the final product.